The Day He Thought Would Never Come
by FlowerofAdversity
Summary: Lumpus finally gets married, but his former old flame appears during the reception. Will Rita still be holding that grudge of being scorned by Al ?


Note: Sort of a follow up to "Clam's Favorite Holiday". At long last, Algonquin C. Lumpus marries the apple of his eye, and the object of his affections; Ms. Jane Doe. Guess who makes an appearance at the reception ? None other than Rita Rabbit, the woman that was scorned by him long ago. Does she still hold a grudge ?

Chapter 1—Nothing and I Mean _Nothing_Can Ruin This Blessed Occasion

Algonquin C. Lumpus was a nervous wreck. Although he looked handsome and incredibly suave for his upcoming wedding to Jane Marie Doe, he was a little unprepared to give a speech at the reception. He had written notes earlier about what he wanted to say, but he knew that a true speech came from within the heart and was honest and forthright. So, with that in mind, he rid himself of his notes. But that gave him absolutely no peace of mind. It came right down to his overly analytical mind. Murphy's Law was always fresh in his mind, but he had distinctly stressed to everyone he meant in almost breakneck fashion,

"Nothing, and I mean _nothing_ can ruin this wedding !"

So far, the weather was looking permissible and all was running on schedule. Algonquin was still anxious, but his sweat had subsided a bit. The wedding itself was going along marvelously and he had gotten to see just how gorgeous his soon-to-be wife Jane Marie Doe was. She was more lovely than a Bocelli angel or a warm, inviting Tuscan villa. To him, she was the eighth world wonder and no one else could disuade him otherwise. The kiss they had shared made time stop instantly and he saw nothing but the glow radiating from her and her iridescent smile. He would have photos of these precious moments to last forever...But what he didn't realize is that the party was about to be rudely interrupted by a unwanted guest.

Chapter 2—Facing the Past...Again

The recepton was magnificent thus far, and the guests were having a tremendous time. Everyone was enjoying the ambiance of the reception hall where the party was being held. There were a lot of people wearing their best formal clothes. It looked like something one might see on the red carpet at a Hollywood premeir night or a photo shoot for Gentlemen's Quarterly. In other words, posh and sophisticated. However, the evening turned into a nightmare when Algonquin saw his old flame Rita walking around the hardwood floors like she _owned_ the place.

"Slinkman...Rita's here !", Algonquin whispered in a fretful tone to his best man.

"I see that Sir. But what do we do ? She's not here to settle an old score with you...Is she ?", Slinkman asked in return. Jane was off somewhere else chatting with some girlfriends of her and all the other guests had been lost in their own conversations. But, it seemed that Rita was heading directly towards Lumpus. This was definitely not a good sign.

"Lumpy ! How are you doing ?", Rita questioned, exhuberantly.

"Terrific. Long time no see. Are you still inspecting camps ?", Lumpus answered, his first response was sarcastic and almost catatonic.

"Ah, of _course_I am you silly. Heard you were getting married. I couldn't miss that for the world !

I'm happy for you !", Rita said, unexpectedly hugging him. The moment was unbelievably awkward.

"Really ?", Lumpus questioned, not even believing his own ears.

"Yes. Why shouldn't I be pleased for you ? I won't ever be as lucky as you though. Inspection is my life, and I don't have time for marriage. But fortunately, I have friends that have the same passion for inspecting that I do. Friends are what makes life worthwhile, right ?", Rita said, grinning.

Algonquin was nearly flabberghasted. For a moment he hoped that Jane wouldn't see Rita embracing him. Luckily, such an event never happened because he was certain that Jane had a bit of a temper and jealousy when it came to the possibility of other suitors that might be interested in him.

"I thought you were still mad. I wasn't sure you were ever going to forgive me for the decisions my heart has made. To tell you truthfully, I'm the happiest moose on Earth.", Lumpus said, smiling.

"I am elated. I couldn't be more euphoric for you at this moment, Lumpy. No more grudges. I'm a different rabbit now. I was taught how to be a true lady. Of course, I'm still a bit of a stickler for cleanliness and I'm a bit of a taskmaster when it comes to getting the job done right. Ha, ha, ha ! I suppose some traits can never be changed, eh ?", Rita said, chuckling lightly. She had a natural happiness about her now, one he hadn't seen before in years when she first fell violently in love with him.

"Well, I'd better get back to the festivities. It was good seeing you Rita.", Lumpus said. The whole conversation felt like an episode from _The Twilight Zone_. But he was glad that nothing strange had happened and that she had let go of the past and that she was comfortable with the new rabbit that she had become.

At least now, Algonquin was aware that she was no longer a foe. Slinkman, just as amazed, couldn't stop talking about how much Rita had changed. But, change was always welcome...especially when it had been to Lumpus' benefit.

Chapter 3—Daddy Dearest

9 months rushed by as if they had only been a week. Before Lumpus knew it, he was welcoming twins into the world. Strangely enough, twins were neither common in his family nor in hers, but having twins wasn't altogether uncommon. It was a blessing for them both, though. The two fawns were fraternal twins, looking similar only in their gorgeous blue eye color that they inherited from their mother, Jane.

"What shall we name them, Al ?", Jane asked, with a radiant smile that bathed the room in warmth. The fraternal twins were so exhausted from their pre-natal journey that they had both fallen asleep in their mother's loving arms. Lumpus had never really wanted children, but after seeing his own daughter and son, his heart had changed and he had fallen in love with them.

"The boy will be named William Chester after my father. The daughter will be named Florence Stella after your mother. That is, unless you object with my choice of names.", Algonquin offered.

"I don't object at all, Al. Those names are wonderful.", Jane said as she stared lovingly at the sleeping children. They soon left the hospital and their adventures in parenthood soon began. Of course another Scoutmaster would have to take over for a while for Jane while she was taking care of the children during the first years of development. That lady was Bernice the bobcat. Bernice literally jumped at the chance to take the job, just the same as Slinkman had to substitute for Lumpus while he was away doing the best he could to be a good parent.

Epilogue

Being a parent had its ups and downs but William and Florence were growing up happy and healthy. Someday, they would be able to attend Camp Kidney when they were old enough. Surely, they would be a little spoiled, but they would always have family to come to if times became rough. For the moment now, they would be learning to walk, talk, eat, and become more independent day by day. Despite the hardships that lay ahead, both Mr. And Mrs Lumpus were glad to have two lovely children to call their own and they would raise them the best way they knew how. Sure, there were plenty of books about parenting on the marketing, but compared to actually _doing_ the parenting, it didn't compare. The rewards were far more numerous than both of them could ever imagine, and they knew that they were the luckiest creatures on the earth with love abounding within their hearts and joy overflowing them for so long as they breathed.

The End

June 4, 2006


End file.
